By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,
New Delhi: It’s time the Muslim community woke up to their socio-economic and educational conditions and press the government and political parties to put the entire community in reserved classes of people, said ex-MP and diplomat Syed Shahabuddin today in New Delhi.
Justice Rang Nath Mishra Commission report, which clearly recommended reservation for the Muslim community, was submitted in May 2007 but it hasn’t yet been tabled in the Parliament, he said. The commission had recommended 10% reservation for Muslims and 5% for other religious minorities. The unutilized portion of this 5% can also be diverted to Muslims, the commission had recommended.
Detailing the purpose of the one-day convention to be held on February 1 on the issue of Muslim reservation, Syed Shahabuddin, convenor of Joint Committee of Muslim Organisations for Empowerment (JCMOE), organizer of the convention, told mediapersons at Press Club in Delhi today that the convention is meant to again bring the issue in the limelight and press the government and political parties to think about it.
He demanded inclusion of Muslims in the SC category like Hindus and Sikhs by deleting the Clause 3 of the Constitution (SC) Order 1950.
He demanded reservation for Muslims in five areas: government employment, higher education, social development and welfare programmes, government loan and bank credit and legislatures. He urged the community to vote for only those parties which promise to provide reservation.
Asked if he will press Congress and likeminded parties to include the Muslim reservation issue in their election manifesto he avoided clear answer saying the parties should review what they promised in the past manifestoes. Dr Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas, member of working committee of All India Muslim Personal Law Board, chipped in to say that first these parties should be pressed to put the Rang Nath Mishra report in the Parliament.
Besides Ilyas, Dr Zafarul Islam Khan, President, All India Muslim Majlise Mushawarat, and social activist Akhtar Hussain Akhtar were present in the conference.
Asked rather being allowed to be used by parties around election time why Muslim leadership don’t think about forming a Muslim political party, Syed Shahabuddin said it would be suicidal or at least counterproductive. It is better to seek help of political parties.
Giving details of the National Convention on Muslim Reservation to be held at India Islamic Cultural Centre in New Delhi on February 1, he said the Inaugural Session of the convention will be chaired by Justice A M Ahmadi, former Chief Justice of India and presently Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University, and inaugurated by Saiyid Hamid, Chancellor of Jamia Hamdard.
Several national leaders shall address the Inaugural Session including H D Deve Gowda, former Prime Minister of India and presently President of JD (S), Ram Vilas Paswan, President of the Lok Janshakti Party and A B Bardhan, General Secretary of the Communist Party of India.
Leaders of religious minorities including Johan Dayal, national President of All India Christian Council, Bal Patil, eminent Jain leader, Sardar Paramjit Singh Sarna, President of the Delhi Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee and Udit Raj, well known SC leader, are expected to address the Convention.
Maulana Rabey Hasani Nadvi, Rector, Darul Uloom, Nadwatual Uloom, Lucknow, Maulana Syed Nizamuddin, Amir-e-Shariat, Bihar and Maulana Salim Quasmi, Rector, Darul Uloom, Deoband will also attend the programme.
The Delegates Session shall be chaired by Maulana Jalaluddin Umari, Amir, Jamaat Islami-e- Hindi. Leading members of the Muslim intelligentsia, including Mr. Zafar Saifullah, former Cabinet Secretary to the Government of India, Dr. Abu Saleh Shariff, eminent economist and former Research Director of NCAER and Dr. S. Farooq and P.A. Inamdar, noted educationists are expected to participate.
The Concluding Session shall be chaired by Maulana Mohammad Usman Mansoorpuri, President of the Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind, at which the draft Resolution shall be presented and discussed, before approval.